


find your name

by TheDragonLover



Series: Tumblr Requests [7]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Grillster, M/M, Memes, collegetale au, written for request, younger days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15914751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonLover/pseuds/TheDragonLover
Summary: RIP Grillby’s patience, and Gaster’s back.---For a request to write Grillster, with a prompt.





	find your name

**Author's Note:**

> BEFORE READING: This is using the idea of a "college AU" that a friend and I created together, so it has its own kind of canon to it. This is a look into that AU's past, perhaps.
> 
> AUTHOR'S SUGGESTION: I recommend, if you don’t know what post this is referencing, to read the entire snippet before you go looking it up or clicking any of the links. For maximum giggles.

“Humans have such interesting traditions,” Gaster spoke up, sitting at the bar Grillby worked at.

The fire elemental turned from the drink he was making, inquisitive. He didn’t even need to watch his hands as he did the final flourish, filling the glass right to the rim. Some might call him a show-off. He’d argue he was only efficient. It helped him pay better attention to the customers—especially the ones grinning at him like they were up to something, as this one was. Oh, boy. Jokes were a gift on long nights, but Grillby wasn’t so keen on the ones at his expense.

Sighing softly, he decided to take the bait, if only because in his experience it would make the punchline a bit less painful. “You don’t say?”

“And they’re so quirky about them,” Gaster went on, getting up from his stool to follow the bartender on a dish run. “Did you know that there are human elders designated with the authority to gift other humans with special names? They make a ritual of it, gathering around the elder and asking to be bestowed with one, as if they can’t figure one out for themselves.”

“An interesting custom,” Grillby muttered.

He wasn’t certain this was entirely true; despite the other monster’s sincere tone, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had a little fun with spreading misinformation.  _I certainly don’t remember anything of the sort. Ah, well, he’ll straighten things out later if that’s the truth._

Gaster could sense the disbelief, chuckling. “Grillby, I’m being serious!”

“Are you, now?”

“Yes! And before you say it,” he went on, “you wouldn’t know about this because it’s a private affair, for humans. They don’t speak of it willy-nilly.”

“Then how would  _you_  know,” the bartender shot back.

Gaster shook his head, leaning across a nearby table to help despite the other’s protests. “Do you remember the convention I attended the other day? There was a speaker, human of course, who went over some of the various customs that separate most of human and monster cultures. She was rather well-spoken, I’d recommend her paper on the matter.”

“I see…” The suspicions finally easing, Grillby took those dishes, and hummed. “What sort of special names?”

“Oh, all sorts, it depends on the elder, really.” Gaster twisted a hand. “There was one who would name [aspiring sky warriors](http://ladyofthefanart.tumblr.com/post/161302333228/find-your-real-angel-name)—don’t give me that look, I know humans can’t fly, they need those metal contraptions and—or the one elder who would christen the [sacred column dancers](https://memes-r-memes.tumblr.com/post/165039429672/mines-black-wrap)! Humans clamor for their guidance.”

Sometimes, Gaster’s interest and dissecting of human culture was quite fascinating. It was one of the reasons Grillby enjoyed listening to the monster on his shifts. Thinking on his own knowledge, the elemental paused in his work, lost in thought. “…I suppose we monsters don’t exactly have our own parallel to that sort of tradition.”

“Short of the king or queen bestowing a title, no.” Grinning, Gaster patted his shoulder, teasing, “But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a bit of inspiration from that. It’s intriguing, isn’t it? Here, let’s try it out—”

“If you use “fire,” “inferno,” “blaze” or “sparks,” I’m cutting you off.”

“Come on, give me a  _little_  credit! That would be disrespectful to you  _and_  the humans.” When he scoffed and moved towards the bar, Gaster stood in his way, placing hands on his shoulders. “All right. Are you ready?”

Grillby rolled his eyes. “As always.” This should be good.

“All right! I am going to bestow upon you…” His own were twinkling. “…your gay name.”

“…my what?”

“Your gay name. And in order to do that, we take your first name—Grillbert—”

Grillby leaned closer, crackling. “ _Not so loud._ ” But the other monster was already crouching down, until he was on one knee and holding up a hand, grin wider than ever.

“—and combine it with my last name.”

The elemental stared, the brightness of his flames increasing as they danced. A few patrons had noticed the scene, and he could hear their muttering.  _I should’ve known better than to trust him!_

“That would make you Grillbert Gaster,” the troublemaking monster clarified.

Embarrassment growing, Grillby nearly snapped. “ _I know that!_ ”

“Oy!” The owner of the bar was poking her head out of the kitchens, pointing at him. “Enough lollygagging, chop chop!”

“I hate you,” Grillby told his snickering boyfriend, spinning on his heel to do as he was commanded.

“No, you don’t.”

“And you’re sleeping on the couch.”

Gaster was definitely on that sofa later that night… and so was Grillby, unable to really stay mad at the man. Not when he gave that cheeky smile, or peppered him with a kiss for every half-hearted glare he received.

“If anyone is taking the other’s last name,” the elemental muttered against his back, “it would be  _you._ ”

The vibrating chuckle this earned was as relaxing as it was attractive, causing him to close his eyes and settle for sleep. He could put up with a few jokes at his expense, he supposed.

“…so, what, Bert?”

Flashing brightly, Grillby shoved Gaster right off of the sofa. “You’re _fired,_ ” he shot back, well, heatedly, ignoring his own grin. And he hoarded all of the pillows, for good measure. Gaster was too busy laughing on the floor to care, it seemed.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for @grassno on tumblr, using "that real smooth Find Your Gay Name post on tumblr" as a prompt. I had way too much fun with this one lol.
> 
> Gaster's references here (the last being the Main Piece):  
> http://ladyofthefanart.tumblr.com/post/161302333228/find-your-real-angel-name  
> https://memes-r-memes.tumblr.com/post/165039429672/mines-black-wrap  
> http://gaygothur.tumblr.com/post/177114612272/find-out-your-gay-name-your-first-name-gets
> 
> If you want to put in a request for more of this (or with different characters), or for something new, throw an ask at my writing blog, @thatdragonsdrabbles.


End file.
